updated 06:35 pm EST, Sun January 13, 2013

Sales figures suggest close to millionth unit milestone

The Raspberry Pi micro computer has sold at least 500,000 units since launch, and could have reached the million-unit mark, according to sales figures. Numbers released by Element 14 (Premier Farnell) has confirmed that the hobbyist and low-cost computer system has passed the half-million barrier, while previous figures from the other distributor, RS Components, suggest it may have already passed the millionth shipped sale.

The non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation confirmed the Element 14 figures, accompanied by an infographic comparing the diminutive circuit board to the height of Felix Baumgartner's world record skydive, as well as claiming it is the equivalent weight of over 200,000 iPhone 5 smartphones. The half-million sales equates to $17.5 million in revenues to Element 14, and excludes the cost of not-included accessories such as cases, power adapters, SD cards, and HDMI cables.

In recent months, an app store for the Raspberry Pi has launched, with the intention of making development and project sharing easier for users, and found a place in Time Magazine'stop 10 gadgets of 2012, reaching number 4.